Job Title: Director of Alumni, Parent, and Donor Engagement

Division: Advancement

Institution: Calvin University

Reports to: Vice President for Advancement

Position Summary: The Director of Alumni, Parent, and Donor Engagement provides strategic leadership and oversight for alumni and parent relations initiatives at Calvin University. This role is responsible for fostering lifelong relationships between the university and its alumni community of 67,000, strengthening alumni affinity, increasing engagement, and supporting the institution’s mission through meaningful connections, programs, and partnerships.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy aligned with Calvin University’s mission and advancement goals.
• Establish measurable objectives and metrics to increase alumni participation, volunteerism, and philanthropic support.
• Collaborate with Advancement leadership to integrate alumni engagement into broader fundraising and institutional priorities.
• Provide consultative guidance and overall program direction for the Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) program.
• Provide consultative guidance and overall direction to the Calvin Alumni Association board

Cultivate Alumni, Parent and Donor Engagement

• Design and oversee execution of a diverse portfolio of alumni programs, including reunions, regional events, affinity groups, and virtual engagement opportunities.
• Lead signature alumni events such as Homecoming and milestone celebrations.
• Ensure programs reflect Calvin’s Reformed Christian identity and commitment to community.
• Build alumni relationships with Calvin alumni locally, nationally, and globally
• Foster and maintain a productive and involved relationship between the Calvin Alumni Association board members and Calvin University. Ensures alignment between board initiatives and university strategy.
• Provide leadership to Family Engagement that works to improve student retention and persistence, improve enrollment yield, and increase parent philanthropy

Alumni Communications

• Partner with marketing and communications teams to develop compelling alumni messaging across digital, print, and social platforms.
• Oversee alumni publications, newsletters, and targeted campaigns to maintain consistent engagement.
• Serve as Editor-in-Chief of SPARK alumni magazine, responsible for mission, objectives, and budget of this magazine.
• Utilize CRM systems to segment audiences and personalize outreach.

Collaboration & Campus Partnership

• Work closely with campus partners including Admissions, Career Development, Academic Departments, and Student Life to integrate alumni into university initiatives.
• Establish initial connections between the university and alumni through student-to-alumni transition programming to foster lifelong connection that begins at graduation.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of related leadership and community relations experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and manage complex programs.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Christian Reformed church.
• A commitment to Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time and occasionally work evenings and weekends.
• Active participation in university life and community.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and execution
• Relationship building and networking
• Leadership and team development
• Authentic engagement and high-impact speaker presence
• Data-informed decision-making

FAITH and EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENT

1. Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts University affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.

2. A commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.

DIVERSITY COMMITMENT

Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communication across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, physical limitations, class, or religious perspectives.